The <a href="http://www.aplan.jp/works/syouwa/syouwatyos/syouwatyos.htm">Showa-cho House</a> in Osaka Japan is an amazingly airy residence despite its miniscule 59 x 13-foot lot. Architect <a href="http://www.aplan.jp/" target="_blank">Fujiwara Muro</a> made incredible use of the limited space available by building up and splitting the home in half with a staircase, which acts as both a transition space and delineates the private and public sides of the home without a wall. Plenty of <a href="http://inhabitat.com/daylighting/">daylight</a> flows in, and a simplified modern interior streamlines the space, adding a tranquil feeling to a home dictated by a ten foot-wide interior dimension.

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Showa-cho

Set in a tightly-planned neighborhood in Osaka, the home makes the most of a <a href="http://inhabitat.com/2010/08/10/extraordinary-japanese-micro-home-built-from-a-grid-of-boxes/">limited lot</a>. The face of the home is a fully glazed to maximize daylighting, and it's set deep into the lot for privacy and to control heat gain in the summer.

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Showa-cho

The living space has two-story floor-to-ceiling windows, which makes the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/?attachment_id=154306">limited floor area</a> seem much more generous.

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Showa-cho

The centerpiece of the home is an elegantly ascending open staircase.

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Showa-cho

The home's vertical program balances public and private spaces while providing the interior spaces with plenty of natural light.

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Showa-cho

Centrally-located skylights work with the home's open, airy floor plan to allow daylight to penetrate down to the bottom floor.

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Showa-cho

The kitchen and dining area is a sublime <a href="http://inhabitat.com/interiors/">integrated space</a> that is enhanced by contrasting finishes.

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Showa-cho

A view from the kitchen thought the home, letting the room be separate but a part of the living spaces.

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Showa-cho

A simple bedroom lays at the base of the home, a quite and cool nook away from the living area.

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Showa-cho

The bath features a full-height mirror that enhances its visual size and functionality. The sink and counter seem to hover in the middle of the space as a result.

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Showa-cho

A cross section reveals the simple yet brilliant design of the home. A vertical program with central access provided by the staircase balances public space and private while maximizing light and views throughout. A tucked-under parking garage completes the compact design.

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Showa-cho

Perhaps only from above does the floor plans true narrowness show itself.

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Showa-cho

The lower private space is a simple layout with a walk out garden.

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Showa-cho

<a href="http://assets.inhabitat.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2010/08/scmicro-ed01.jpg"></a>
Set in a tightly-planned neighborhood in Osaka, the home makes the most of a <a href="http://inhabitat.com/2010/08/10/extraordinary-japanese-micro-home-built-from-a-grid-of-boxes/">limited lot</a>. The face of the home is a fully glazed to maximize daylighting, and it's set deep into the lot for privacy and to control heat gain in the summer. The living space has two-story floor-to-ceiling windows, which makes the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/?attachment_id=154306">limited floor area</a> seem much more generous....<br><br><a href='http://inhabitat.com/amazing-showa-cho-micro-house-is-only-ten-feet-wide-inside/'>READ ARTICLE</a>

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Showa-cho

The Showa-cho House in Osaka Japan is an amazingly airy residence despite its miniscule 59 x 13-foot lot. Architect Fujiwara Muro made incredible use of the limited space available by building up and splitting the home in half with a staircase, which acts as both a transition space and delineates the private and public sides of the home without a wall. Plenty of daylight flows in, and a simplified modern interior streamlines the space, adding a tranquil feeling to a home dictated by a ten foot-wide interior dimension.